Elections: 2

"This is the beginning of a new era in Egypt, democracy in action. Not in theory, but in action." - Amr Moussa, presidential hopeful, casting his vote two hours ago.

A routine-walk-for-phone-credit-turned-bizarre-polling-station-hopping-adventure. Some photos from the middle of today's elections in Alexandria below. Overall I was startled by the contrast in what we had imagined the atmosphere today would be like, and what it actually is - far from the bloodbath students and expats had been warned of, there is a general sense of excitement and joviality in the streets that no amount of rain or cynicism can dampen.

Above: the polling station in Wabuur al Maya, across the street from our flat. For the most part men and women vote separately. Volunteers for various parties mill about, handing out leaflets; the one with the most publicity (will find out exactly who it is later) is handing out blue and yellow hats for voters, and appears to have two representatives running for office, represented by pictures of an orange and a basketball.

Below: Wabuur al Maya, hung with fresh banners last night - most of the originals were torn down over the last week. Walls are lined with posters showing the various candidates, all men, of course; for the first time we have worked out the significance of the pictures beside each one, that range from the understandable (clasped hands, a crescent moon) to the more confusing (a dolphin, a razor blade, a DVD player); these must be for the illiterate sixty per cent of the population, who, unable to understand the names written on the polling cards, require some sort of symbol to know who they are voting for.

Below: Fou'ad street, busier than we have seen for a long time at this time of day. Schools across the country are closed and it seems for many Egyptians voting has become a family outing, with many people bringing even their youngest children along; toddlers hefted in women's arms brandish flyers and look confused.

Above: fingers stained black to denote who has and has not voted, a crude system but it does the job. Earlier this morning there was a huge problem with shortages of ink but judging by the numbers of people strolling home with index fingers slightly raised to keep off clothing and bags, this has now for the most part ceased to be an issue.
Below: a women's polling station in a school off Fou'ad street. Friends and husbands stand on the other side of the road, waiting - the queue is agonisingly slow, but definitely moving. Cries ring out and the general mood is upbeat and full of anticipation. A sudden downpour strikes and umbrellas bloom like flowers; after a few moments' deliberation the blue-hatted officials open the school gates to allow voters to rush inside. Clearly nothing is to get in the way of proceedings today.

Feeling brave today, I had kept the camera on show and continued to take photos for the whole journey (it is hardy enough, thank goodness, not to be damaged by the rain) and until now had received mostly positive attention, if any, as a result. Families shout "Suwariya!" - "Photographer!" in passing and a number of voters run over to pose for pictures. Here, for the first time, an angry-looking man approaches and twangs at the camera strap, shouting "Li? Li?" - "Why? Why?"; a group of women who have offered me shelter under their umbrella put their arms around me and explain patiently that, contrary to his belief, I am not here to wait and pounce on any fights that break out; grudgingly he goes away. I am reminded of the first week here and Riham's words; clearly there is still concern that the Western media wish to portray the worst of the proceedings, when in fact - bar one brief shouting match that may well have been good-natured - there has been not a scuffle or fist raised in sight all day.

Below: more Arabs voting. Makeshift polling stations have sprung up in more or less every school (the university's colleges are dotted all around the city) - as with a British election, polling will close at 9pm tonight and at the moment there is a brief lull as many people are waiting until work ends in the afternoon to cast their vote. Doubtless then it will take days, even weeks, to count.

Above: two boys roped in no doubt by their parents to help hand out flyers.

Below: some final images from the journey back home. I stop off briefly at the ACL institute where reports are more or less the same: the feeling is overwhelmingly positive, as much a national holiday and social event as a milestone in the history of Egypt. We have yet to see what the night brings, and of course the doubts - to say the least - regarding the point of holding these elections at all remain, but for the moment, at least, all is calm... and going precisely according to plan.